[East Coast Travel]Hunt for the elusive "Kujira Whale" and go whale watching along the Su-Hua Highway!

Tripbaa Funbaa!, Asia's Free Travel Expert

As the summer vacation arrives, Taiwan’s east coast also enters the prime whale-watching season. During this time of year, the Su-Hua Highway always becomes one of the most bustling tourist routes, and in Yilan’s Guishan Island and Hualien, it's teeming with travelers eager to swim alongside whales and dolphins. The editor highly recommends taking a summer trip along the Su-Hua Highway to Hualien and Yilan for whale watching—it’s also the perfect experiential learning opportunity to teach kids about cherishing the environment and animals, and you can witness the breathtaking moment when whales and dolphins leap out of the sea, feeling the awe-inspiring power of nature.

The Pacific Ocean on Taiwan’s east side is traversed by the Kuroshio Current, with sea temperatures maintained at around 24 degrees, making it very suitable for marine life activities. As a result, the underwater ecosystem here is rich and vibrant, and it's common to spot whales, dolphins, and other creatures.Every July and August marks the peak whale-watching season on Taiwan’s east coast. In recent years, the probability of successfully seeing whales during the whale-watching season in Hualien and Yilan has reached as high as 90%.This year, whale watching in Taiwan has become especially popular, largely because whale-watching boats off the coasts of Hualien and Guishan Island have recently encountered what is known as one of the world’s most mysterious animals—the Kujira Whale—pushing the domestic whale-watching craze to new heights.

Su-Hua Highway Whale Watching Route – Guishan Island. (Photo / Tripbaa Funbaa!, Asia's Free Travel Expert)

Guishan Island is Taiwan’s only confirmed active volcanic island, named for its resemblance to a floating turtle. Located offshore from Toucheng in Yilan County, it has long been a natural landmark of the Lanyang Plain, symbolizing the “guardian turtle of Lanyang.” It was recently selected by the renowned international travel website "WHEN ON EARTH" as one of the world’s 12 coolest naturally shaped islands, ranked alongside Hawaii’s Moomoon Island, Italy’s Dolphin Island, and Croatia’s Fish Island as globally iconic cool islands!

Every year from April to October is the liveliest and busiest season on the Su-Hua Highway, as it coincides with the best whale-watching season in Yilan. Up to 17 species of whales and dolphins frequent the waters around Guishan Island, with quite a remarkable population. Let’s follow experienced guides to visit Guishan Island, uncover its mysteries through professional commentary, admire the Eight Scenic Spots of Guishan Island, and dance with whales and dolphins gliding through the blue sea and white waves under the azure sky!

The world’s coolest-shaped island, Guishan Island—have you been there yet? Have you tried hiking on the island, circling it, or going whale and dolphin watching?
Stroll around the island to enjoy its leisurely vibe, take a yacht to view the Eight Scenic Spots of Guishan Island, savor the sea breeze of summer, and search for the trails of whales and dolphins swimming in the sea.

Guishan Island is a volcanic island suspended in the sea. As early as the Qing Dynasty, it was famous for eight scenic wonders such as “Sunrise over Guishan” and “Sulfur Smoke from Guishan.” Especially notable is “Sunrise over Guishan,” which ranks first among the Lanyang Eight Scenic Spots. In addition, there are two lakes on Guishan Island: one at the turtle’s tail and one at the turtle’s head. The Turtle Ear Lake and Turtle Head Pool are not large, about 200 square meters each, while the Turtle Tail Pool is the area currently opened by the scenic management office for island-viewing tourism.

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Currently, the 401 Highland of Yilan’s Guishan Island allows only 100 visitors per day, and applications must be made 20 days in advance. The trail is about 1,400 meters long with a total of 1,706 steps. After going out to sea with such effort, how can you not climb up Guishan Island to explore? Though the journey is long and tough, no pain, no gain—along the path, the rich biodiversity will surely leave you amazed and constantly awestruck!

When visiting Guishan Island on the Su-Hua Highway, don’t just go whale watching—make sure to land on the island. If you’re too lazy to figure out how to combine both activities, the editor recommends you simply hop on a double-bottom yacht to experience world-class views and classic itineraries all in one go. This route is also perfect for family trips, as it includes guided tours covering ocean ecology, whale and dolphin watching, and the Eight Scenic Spots of Guishan Island. What better way to spend your summer vacation!

Traveling further along the Su-Hua Highway, you’ll arrive at Hualien for whale watching. It’s not just about spotting whales and dolphins—it’s also about understanding these creatures and Hualien’s unique marine ecology through professional guides from the Black Tide Ocean Education Foundation. Deeply experience the positive interaction between humans and marine life, marvel at the graceful forms of whales and dolphins, and enjoy the landscape of Taroko Gorge and Qingshui Cliffs, as well as the river-sea ecosystems woven together by the Liwu, Sanzhan, and Kuroshio currents.

Besides taking photos at Qingshui Cliffs on the Su-Hua Highway, many people also set out early from the sea—not only to go whale and dolphin watching but also to admire the beautiful sight of the morning sea. Especially in the soft morning light, the Central Mountain Range looks particularly lush green. When you look back at Qingshui Cliffs, the emotion on visitors' faces is unmistakable.

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The Kujira Whale was named in 2003, and live sightings have been extremely rare. It wasn’t until 2015 that it was first captured on camera off the coast of Madagascar, earning it the title of the world’s rarest whale species.The Kujira Whale closely resembles the fin whale in appearance. The distinguishing features are the black patch on the left lower jaw and the white patch on the pectoral fin.Additionally, adult Kujira Whales are about 11 meters long, significantly smaller than the 18–26 meter length of fin whales.

Currently, scholars know very little about the Kujira Whale—its habits and diet remain a mystery. Therefore, capturing the live image of this most mysterious Kujira Whale is a significant moment for Taiwan’s whale and dolphin observation and research, which will further promote whale-watching tourism in Taiwan and raise awareness for cetacean conservation.

[Tripbaa Funbaa]Authorized Repost | Original Source: [Go Whale Watching Along the Su-Hua Highway to Guishan Island in Yilan and Hualien to Spot the Mysterious “Kujira Whale”]

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